


Us

by Yume_Eiko



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:20:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25241548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yume_Eiko/pseuds/Yume_Eiko
Summary: After losing both their Fathers, Ino comes to alot of revelations. One being Shikamaru.This is Ino's POV of my fanfic " Together"
Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Minna-san. While writing "Together", for some time, I couldn't figure out if I wanted to combine these two fanfics together since they are happening at the same time. Then I realized that since both Ino & Shikamaru are going through the same thing, but they both are going to react differently, so I told myself that I wanted both their voices to be heard. I also enjoy both writing about Shikamaru & Ino. Together & Apart. You will notice in both stories that some parts will have the same dialogue, so please do not mind that. I hope I said that well. Without further ado, please enjoy "Us"
> 
> P.S. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto-san.   
> As always, I welcome comments, thoughts, etc. Thank you!!!

“ Ino? Ino?”  
“ Ah. Yes Ibiki-san?”  
“ So. What do you think?”  
“ Can I think about it?”  
“ Of course. Take all the time you need.”

She left his office with a big sigh. Strange enough, she had been handling these past few weeks pretty well. Losing her Father & Shikaku-jii-san had broken her down for a while. She didn't eat. She didn't sleep. She screamed at everybody, even her Mother. Her Mother, who too, was not handling it well, had gone to go visit some relatives. Their Flower Shop had been destroyed, so she decided to take full control of rebuilding it. It wasn't on a priority list which she was ok with. Sakura had tried to come visit her, but she didn't want to hear her right now. She would probably kill her if she even brought up his name: Uchiha Sasuke. While Sakura & Naruto were happy to have him back, she thought he could go back to where he came from. She deep down hasn't forgave him from the 1st time they had tried to retrieve him. Past was the past, but she didn't plan on making any past mistakes. Thinking about that also made her think of Shikamaru. If anybody knew him, it was her. They had practically been together their whole lives. She also knew that he wasn't taking losing his Father well. First Asuma-Sensei, then both their Dads. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio couldn't catch a break.   
“ Hi Ino.”  
“ Chouji.”  
“ How are you?”  
She hated that question.   
“ It’s going Cho. Have you heard from Shikamaru?”  
“ Kind of. It’s been a while. He told me he wanted to be alone.”  
“ Chouji! What are you thinking? You know how lazy that man is!”  
“ But----”  
“ It’s ok. I got this.”  
‘ Alone my ass. Shikamaru needed her & she needed him.’

She waited at his door for a moment. Now that she was here, she really didn't know what to say. Wait a minute. This is Shikamaru we’re talking about. That was one of things she appreciated about him. No matter how tongue twisted she got, he knew what she wanted to say. Why was she over analyzing this?   
“ Ino?”  
“ Can I?”  
After he had let her come in, the answer had come to her. Judging by the darkened hallways, his mom had done the same thing that her mom had done. Kami. She understood that they had lost their husbands, but what about them? They were barely adults. Then, Shikamaru looked a mess. He was in a ratty wife beater with some sweatpants. He probably needed a shower & Kami knows the last time he ate some real food.  
“ Where’s Yoshino-baa-san?”  
“ With my Aunt.”  
“ Can I?”  
“ Troublesome woman.”  
She grabbed onto his arm & led him upstairs.  
“ Ino.”  
“ Shower first.”  
“ Ino.”  
“ I’ll make extra kelp.”  
“ Mackerel too.”  
“ Deal. Now shoo.”

She let the mackerel smoke as she waited for Shikamaru to finish his shower. The Nara compound was practically her 1st home, with the Akimichi being her 2nd home. When they were younger, if she hadn't been there, she was either at the flower shop or she was visiting her Dad at the Intelligence Unit. Wait? Had her Dad been grooming her since then? Even when she was having a bad day at the Academy, he would just let her stay with him while he worked. Then there was Shikaku-ji-san. They had made a deal: As long as she didn't tell Yoshino-baa-san about him smoking, he wouldn't rat out her hiding back here with the deer. A Lot of people thought it was a bird that she had first got stuck in when she did her first ever Mind Transfer Jutsu, but it was actually a baby deer. Shikaku-ji-san was the one who coached her out of it. When she finally got out, he just laughed at her & let her cry on his shoulder. A young buck broke her out of her thoughts. It bleeted at her, wanting some fish.   
“ You already ate, so don't give me that look.”  
Shikamaru had finally come out of his shower, lighting a cigarette. He looked so much better with some clean clothes. Usually she would have told him to put the cigarette away, but what the hell. Might as well figure out why half the men in her life smoked them.  
“ Can I have one?”  
“ It’s a bad habit.”  
“ Just for tonite Shika.”  
He sighed, handing it to her. It didn't look too hard, so she just went for it. Bad idea. She coughed hard as the harsh nicotine hit her lungs. Shikamaru patted her back & tried to take the cigarette away from her. She just sidestepped him & handed him the fan.  
“I’ll trade you. The fish is almost done.”  
She took another drag. This was just like when Tsunade-sensei made her & Sakura test out a new smoke bomb she had created. Tsunade-sensei had added too much gas & they both had to be on an inhaler for an hour. Her Dad had stopped by that day & had whined to Tsunade-sensei about hurting his precious, only daughter. She chuckled. There was nobody in the world who treated her like her Dad did. She could feel the tears coming.   
“ Ino-----”  
“ I’ll grab the plates. You can bring that in.”

Stupid Shikamaru & his senses. She knows that it’s just them two, but did he really have to look at her like that? Like she was gonna fall apart any second? She ran to get some plates from the dining room. As she walked back towards the kitchen, her steps slowed, taking in the pictures hung. She smiled. Young Shika had a smile on his face, holding up a shoji board he had gotten for his birthday. The next one was her feeding him a piece of cake while Chouji had the whole cake in his hand. Next to that was Yoshino-baa-san, her Mom, and her in all kimonos for the New Years. Then her smile dropped. First was the original Ino-Shika-Cho. All their Dads were in their jounin gear with a serious face. Next to that was their original first pic of Ino-Shika-Cho with Asuma-sensei. Asuma-sensei was in the back with his cigarette lit, smirking. In front, she was in the middle with a big smile while Shika had his usual bored expression & Chouji had a small smile. The tears started to come. They had won their first A mission & their Dads had wanted a picture with them. Asuma-sensei had taken the picture while they had posed with their Dads: her Dad had picked her up, both of them with the biggest smiles on their faces, Shika & his Dad struck the same bored expression while Chouji & his Dad had beef jerky in their hands. The plates crashed as she looked at the last picture. It was the last picture the Ino-Shika-Cho Family had taken together. Their Dads were standing up, drunk, with an arm around each other as they tried to hold themselves up. They were up front. She was in the middle, grinning, with her arms around Shika & Cho. She couldn’t take it. She couldn’t handle the memories. What were they gonna do? She needed her Dad to tell her it was gonna be ok. She needed Shikaku-jii-san to ruffle her hair & tell her to try again. She needed…...Shikamaru. She turned to see him staring at her, his eyes worried.   
“ Shika??” she said, her voice broken  
“ Yeah Ino.”  
She barrelled into his chest, holding him tight. She didn't care that he too was holding her tight, his strong arms encasing her in his warmth. It hurt a little, but she wanted to feel this pain. To feel that they were alive. That they were together. She could feel his slight stubble on the crown of her head.   
“ Shika.maru.You*sniff*can’t leave me, ok?” she said, crying.  
“ I know. I won’t”  
“ We’ve always *sniff* been *sniff* together. We *sniff* have to stay together.”  
“ Troublesome woman. I couldn’t leave you even if I wanted too.”  
“.....Shut up.”  
“ Come on. Let’s eat.”  
She didn't care how selfish she sounded saying those words. If there was one thing that wouldn’t change, it was this. It’s always been them. She would Mind Trap anybody who tried to break them apart.


	2. Chapter 2

She went home the next morning. Not much was said between them, but it was enough. In-between bites of dinner, she cried on & off & he just let her have her space. If it would have been Chouji, they both would have cried harder & her already patchy, red eyes would have looked worse than what they were right now. Nothing like a fruity scrub to fix that. As she pulled her bangs out of her way, that’s when she noticed it. The silence. Being with Shikamaru, she had completely forgotten why she didn't want to come home. 

‘ Come on Ino. You’re a kunoichi! Get it together!’

She smacked her cheeks with a resolve to get something done today. Heading to the kitchen, she picked up a papaya & began to mash it, creating a paste. She added a little sugar for sweetness. She always loved smelling sweet, no matter what.

“ Let’s let that sit for a minute.”

Turning around, she began to do a little upkeep here & there. The plants were fine. Nobody had been home, so no dirty dishes. Not even a summons from Tsunade-Sensei.

‘ Maybe there’s some voicemails.’

Seeing the light on the machine, she began to play the messages. Most of them were the usual. Sorry for your loss, let us know if you need anything, don’t forget about….etc. Then the next message stopped her.

“ Ino. Ino dear. It’s your Aunt Yukiko. We need to talk. I--------”

She didn’t hear the rest of the message. Her Aunt Yukiko was her Mother’s younger sister. For a time, because she was her Mother’s only child, every year she would go visit her Mother’s side of the family. Holiday, Weddings, Promotions. What was supposed to be connecting with family had turned into what felt like hell. Everyone had known her for her looks & not in a good way. Being a clone of her Father, she was the only blond hair, blue eyed on that side of the family. She didn't mind it. Somehow, Chouza-ji-san knew when she would come home. Meeting her halfway, he would pick her up in a big bear hug & give her the best sweets. Thinking back, it was easy to forgive the taunts & teases because they were all kids. That’s just what they do. What shocked her the most was what she heard from one of her Aunts one day.

(Flashback)

_ It was the day before her birthday. She was 8 at that time. Since she had spent her last birthday with her boys, her Mother & Aunt were picking her up to spend it with the family. She had actually been in a good mood that day. After dropping a birthday aloe to Shikamaru, she was greeted by a light blue yukata on her bed. With glee, she hurriedly did her best to put it on. The yellow obi was a little sloppy, so she would have her Mom tie it tight for her. She kissed her Dad on the cheek as he left for a mission & then waited for her Mom’s carriage on the stoop. Soon, the carriage came with her Mom, Aunt, & 2 other family members she didn't know. She could tell because they all had the same dull green eyes & rigid posture. Her Mom had told her to wait while her & Aunt Yukiko went to go pack her things quickly. In their best kimonos, they peered down at Ino. She was taught never to look an adult in the eyes. With her eyes wide, one of the family members had grabbed her by the chin. _

_ “ I would have thought by now those eyes of yours would have changed.” she said, sneering. _

_ “ & look at that obi. Who taught you to tie it like that? Disgraceful.” the other man said. _

_ “ Now dear cousin. She isnt a Kuronuma like us. We’ll have to be EXTRA hard on her. Don't want her messing up in front of the Elders.” _

_ “She already causes too much attention with those freaky eyes of hers.” _

_ She did her best to hold in her tears, but a lone few had started to fall. _

_ “ By Kami. I think they’ve gotten worse. Let us pray they go away.” _

_ “ How about you pray for a new brain dumbass?” _

_ She looked up to see Shikamaru. Hand in one pocked & another holding the aloe. He was staring the adults straight down. _

_ “ You insolent child! How dare you!” _

_ Shikamaru had walked up to them & grabbed her hand to pull her away. _

_ “ Me? Insolent? How about you untie that obi so you can let some air into that empty-headed mind of yours? Not like you haven’t seen a Kekkai Genkai before. Come on Ino. Mom baked a cake.” _

_ Aloe forgotten, the two rushed away from the adults yelling at them. She had done her best to hold in her tears, but once they got away, full waterworks commenced. With a sigh, Shikamaru bent down into a piggy back position. She stopped crying.  _

_ “ Really?” _

_ “ It is your birthday tomorrow.” _

_ He piggybacked her the long way so they wouldn't get caught by the adults. Coming in through the back door, seeing Yoshino-baa-san’s face had her crying again. Once Shikamaru had explained what had happened, Shikaku-ji-san would make sure everything would be ok. Since then, she had never seen them & she never went back to visit them.  _

( End of Flashback)

Crap. She was about to break down again. Who was she kidding? She was an absolute hypocrite when it came to being independent. Sure, she talked a big game about being a big strong independent woman, but she really had never done anything by herself. She always had someone nearby. Even with missions, due to her Mind Transfer Jutsu, she literally depended on someone to watch her body. 90% of the time that was Shikamaru. What was wrong with her? She was in her head too much right now. She needed to get away. Do something. The phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“ Moshi Moshi?   
“ Ah. Ino! There you are.”

“ Tsunade-Sensei.”

“ Can you come to the hospital for a few hours?”

“ On my way.”

Walking into Konoha General, it was chaos. She couldn't even walk to her office before a nurse had grabbed her. Maybe this was a bad idea. She was gonna suck it up though. People needed her. For this 12 hour shift, she was everywhere. Being Tsunade’s student had its perks & drawbacks. Even with her age, everyone respected her. Unfortunately, she barely got a break. Both her & Sakura had full control of a floor of the hospital when they were on shift. Truthfully, for some time now, she had realized coming to the hospital was slowly becoming a chore. She had lost the enthusiasm she once had when she first came to the hospital. The only things that perked her up now were when they had patients with brain issues. It was a horrible thought, but she loved knowing she was the only person that could dive into a person’s mind & could bring them back from the dead. She didn't want to be bothered with the genin who needed 20 stitches for sticking themselves with their kunai or the fatty who ate too much & couldn't pass gas. Shimatta. When did she start thinking like that? She needed a break. 

Coming out to the roof, there was Tsunade-Sensei with her sake. 

“ Pop a squat Ino-chan.”

Her legs swayed as she leaned back, taking in Konoha. She really did love this place. She took off her nurse’s cap & took a deep breath in. 

“ So when are you gonna put your resignation in?”

“ What?” she said, turning to her Sensei. Tsunade had her cup in her hand, slowly sipping her sake. 

“ Oh don't be coy now Ino. Your face says it all. You’re tired, aren't you?”

“ I-I don't know what to say Sensei.”

“ Tell me what’s on your mind. How are you feeling?”

“ Nothing. I feel absolutely nothing. Sometimes I think I’m ok & then the next I’m a complete mess. I finally broke down in front of Shikamaru. I felt so bad because all he did was hold me & let me cry my eyes out. I’m supposed to be helping him. Some kunoichi I am.”

“ Stop beating yourself up Ino. You’re allowed to be a mess. You lost 2 fathers that day. We all have our own way of grieving. You cry your eyes out. I drink my sake.”

“ You dont think I’m weak?”

“Look at me Ino. You are one of the strongest kunoichi I know & that’s coming from me. Let me tell you, you are handling this better than I did. When my brother died, I was like you. A complete mess. I was so angry at the world that I ran away. I didn't listen to a word that nobody told me. I did some things that I’m not proud of. I was so guilt ridden that it took me years to get back on my feet. Look at you. Here you are at the hospital tackling a shift, supporting Shikamaru, and being scouted by Ibiki. I take that as a win.”

“ Sometimes I think he supports me more than I support him.”

“ You both support each other. Nothing wrong with that at all. I wish I had that at times.” 

“ Hey! How did you know about Ibiki-san?”   
Tsunade blew a raspberry.

“ That man wouldn't leave me alone about you. All last week he was at my office like so when are you gonna let Ino go? I'm like don't you have some people to go toture?”

“ I haven't really given him a response yet.”

“ What are you waiting for Ino-chan? You were born for that position.”

What was she waiting for? She pondered this as she finally made her way home from her shift. When she was younger, she would wait for her Father to come home from his missions and vice versa. It was something that pushed her, made her feel more confident in herself, even with failed missions. He would ruffle her hair & tell her there’s always tomorrow. Coming to her destination, it seems her body knew more than her mind. Instead of her house, she had made it back to Shikamaru. Slightly smelling his cigarette, she smiled, knowing he was home. She opened the door, seeing Shikamaru at the kitchen table reading a scroll. He had forgotten to open a door, so all she could smell was smoke. She huffed. He looked up at her with his usual lazy grin. She happily grinned at him. 

“ Tadaima.”

“ Mmmm”

“ Mou! Shikamaru.” she said, taking his cigarette.

“ Tch. Troublesome. Okaeri.” 

She nodded, giving it back & sitting across from him. Usually, he would be reading the Konoha News, but this time was different. She had noticed he was reading an actual mission scroll. Maybe he was feeling how she was feeling?

“ Another scroll from Kakashi-san?”

“ It’s a quick mission. Just some intel gathering.”

“ You should do it.”

“ Ino.”

“ Come on Shika. Just do it & see how ya feel. Besides, I wanted to tell you something.”

He looked up at her from the scroll. Big decisions like this, she had always discussed with her Dad. Now she only had Shikamaru. She loved Chouj, but his advice sometimes had led her in the wrong direction. They were both emotional thinkers while Shika was the sensible one.She wasnt looking for his approval per say. More so his support. 

“ Ibiki-san wants to train me. Possibly take over my Dad’s position. What do you think Shikamaru?”

He sighed, putting out the cigarette. 

“ Honest?”

She nodded eagerly.

“ What would your Dad say?”

She looked at him. Then she smiled. He always knew what to say. 

“ You know what he would say. We Yamanaka were born for this. You got this Ino.”

“ You know my Dad: Just get it over with Son. It's that or your Mom.”

They both laughed. Maybe this is what she was waiting for. Whatever this was. 

“ Nee, how about when you get back we got to Yakiniku with Chouji? I’m sure he misses you.”

“ Sure Ino.”

She got up with a whoop & went into the takeout drawer.

“ Sushi?”


End file.
